Allis 180 - Engine locked questions

[dhermesc]

We have an Allis 180 with the non turbo 301 diesel engine. We have only had a tractor about 3 months. Recently had a fresh oil change. Tractor showed 5600 hours but the hour meter was not working when we bought it. Tractor starts easy, runs well with no smoke, seems to have good power but does burn some oil. Son was using it to pick up hay with a grappler and was idling it across the field when then engine abruptly shut off. He attempted to resart the tractor but it would not turn over and the starter immediately burned out. He pulled the starter and tried to move the engine with a pry bar - no movement. I thought it was moving but he swears it has not since it quit.

Pulled the valve cover off and it has several bent pushrods. I told him to go ahead and drop the oil pan and see what we were dealing with. Just called me - everything on the bottem side looks OK nothing looks like it got hot or galled due to lack of oil. Oil pan is not completely removed as the wide front end has to come off to get it out.

He says the thinks he can see a gear in the front of the engine (behind the timing plate) that looks like its out of alignment. Next step is to remove the radiator and start tearing into the front of the engine. We have a massive shop manual for this tractor that we bought from the dealership that was selling off all their extras.

How often does a 2800 301 diesel break a cam shaft? Would a frozen injector pump or hydraulic pump cause this?


The other thing - we had a couple issues with parts not being attached correctly - the PTO drive gear was laying at the bottem of the pan when we bought the tractor and a few other little things. Son says you can see where this engine was taken apart (in frame overhaul?) and several parts were marked with paint pens to aid assembly. Would the cam gear spin off if not attached correctly?

 

[used red MN]

Maybe something in the gear train messed up and cam got out of time. Then valves kissed pistons. This scenario would probably leave some metal shavings in the pan at the front.

 

[Fritz Maurer]

Open the timing gear cover and asses the damage. Then try to figure out what happened based on the available evidence. It sounds like you dont know if the cam gear fell off or the cam actually broke. Injector pump seizure will not cause that... the shaft will simply twist off where all the holes are drilled. Would a locked hydraulic pump do this? I dont know. If the pump was self destructing, I would say no. More probable if it sucked up a piece out of the trans that was too big to pass through the pump. Might want to take the suction line off the bottom of the trans and see if there is a strainer there.
You may have to pull the head off before this is all over, if any valves got bent. But this can wait until you have the front of the motor closed up...put in a handful of new push rods, and try it. If you dont hear any hissing out the exhaust or intake, shes ready to go.

 

[dhermesc]

Cam gear snapped right off at the block. Hydraulic pump actually spins freer that we were told it would.

 

[Fritz Maurer]

Cam failure like this is something that happens. Cams break on all kinds of motors , but it doesnt mean they were known for it... every Allis guy I know loves those engines. I particularly liked the sound of a XT-190 with a straight pipe... Im a anti noise guy but that tractor isnt loud. If you were to look at the break, you might find its been cracking for years. As far as I know you have no reason to fear buying a new cam and keeping the tractor. I would like to buy one myself but that family is consistently out of my price range, even for wrecks. The hydraulic pump spinning free like you say might give you priming problems in the future, as if it is too loose it allow the fluid to drain back, then it has to lift it about a foot. Pack the pump with grease when you put the motor back together and it will work, but if you have to repeatedly bleed it to pick up the prime, the pump needs and overhaul.

 

[dhermesc]

We plan of kitting the pump,